Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Once I built a railroad, made it run,
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower to the sun,
Brick and rivet and line.
Once I built a tower, now it's done.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits - gee, we looked swell!
Full of that Yankeedoodleedum!
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, you called me Al?
It was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember? I'm your pal!
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The opera "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi (or "Joe Green" as Victor Borge used to refer to him) debuted in Cairo on Christmas Eve, 1871. The music is some of the best known, especially the "March" from the return of the conquering hero at the Grand Gate of Thebes, usually referred to more simply as the "Grand March from Aida." You can listen to an 8-minute version of this classical music piece at the end of this post. Or not.

Story line:

Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery to Egypt. The young commander of the Egyptian host falls in love with her. Of course, she returns her enslaver's love. Hey, it could happen. Pharaoh's daughter also loves the guy, so prospects are dim for Aida finding joy in her new love. The commander doesn't return Pharaoh's daughter's love. Too bad for him, eh? The king of Ethiopia, Aida's papa, attacks Egypt to free his daughter (very likely) but is defeated on the battlefield by the warrior commander who wants only to become his son-in-law someday. Pharaoh's daughter finds out that Aida and soldierboy are loving it up and Aida is torn between loyalty to her homeland and for her father the king, and for her love for her enslaver and the prospect of probably being tortured to death by the pharaoh's daughter and I don't just mean waterboarding by god. I'll stop now because I sure wouldn't want to spoil the plot for those of you not familiar with this 140 year old opera. Those who sit through the entire 8 minutes will be rewarded with popcorn and free cider at the pub.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

I watched the Vice-Presidential debate tonight, and felt it was a wash. I don't think anyone votes for President because of who his running mate is anyway. This debate, the only one for the VPs wasn't really even necessary.

Technically, I thought Ryan did better than I expected him to, and I thought VP Biden was as much of an arrogant ass as I thought before, maybe more so. But he made some points.

I think the only tangible purpose this debate could have would be to set up the next debate that "matters" next Tuesday, between the Presidential contenders. Biden made a few points that Obama left out in the first debate and Ryan hammered away at the same Republican points.

Many people will say Biden lost this debate because of his constant smirking and condescending attitude. But that doesn't lose debates. If you heard this on the radio instead of watching it on TV, I think Biden was the debating winner. But, since most people saw it on TV, they saw a buffoon being disrespectful to an earnest younger man. Who knows? I don't imagine many minds were changed tonight.

(If you watch an online video of the debate, bear in mind that the real TV audience did not see the moderator or the two men together sitting at the desk; all the TV audience saw was a continuous side by side shot of the men's heads and their facial expressions.)